Refrigerant control valve



Aug. 24, 1943. H. J.YMATTESON REFRIGERANT CONTROL VALVE Filed June 2, 1941 attorney.

Patented Aug. 24, 1943 I v REFRIGERANT coN'rRoL VALVE 7 Harold J. Matteson, Glendale, assignor to General Controls 00., Glendale, Cali! a corporation of Californl Application June 2, 1941, Serial No. 396,321

1 Claim. (Cl. 138-44) My present invention relates generally to fluid control valves and more particularly to those of the t pe commonly employed for the control of refrigerants.

A main object of my invention is the provision of a-fiow restricting member which is removably insertable in the fluid passage of a valve, Where it is held in operating position solely by the pressure of the controlled fluid, or by means yieldably urging it to that position, so that it is readily removable from the valve ca'sing for-the substitution of a similar member having a different flow restricting value.

The invention, while not so limited, has particular utility in a refrigerant control system wherein there must be a definite relation between the flow capacityof the valve and that of the system, whi'chrelation. cannot always be determined before the system-is put into operation, with the result that it is often necessary to disconnect the valve from the system in order to change its orifice or flow restricting member. It is therefore a particular object of my invention to provide means for changing the flow restricting member without disconnecting the valve.

' Another object is to provide a flow restricting or orifice member which is insertable in a bore branched from the main fluid passage of the valve, the outer end of the bore being closed by a readily removable cap.

Another object is to provide an orifice member of the type indicated in the preceding object which is in the form of a simple hollow cylinder which is very economical to manufacture, so that several of these members, having orifices of different sizes, may be furnished with each valve without materially adding to the cost.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be found in the description, the drawing, and the appended claim.

, For complete understanding of the invention,

' reference may be had to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing, wherein the single figure is a view, mainly-bisection, of a thermostatically controlled expansion valve embodying my invention. e

In the drawing, the numeral Il indicates a valve casing having an inlet I2 and an outlet l3 separated by a partition I. Closing the upper.

end of the casing is a flexible metallic diaphragm l5 and a cylindrical diaphragm cover IS. The portion of the casing which extends above this cover is rolled-over as indicated at ll to. securely hold the diaphragm and its cover, the

' upper unreduced portion of the port.

annular space between the cover and the rolledover portion of the casing being filled with solder l8. Threaded and soldered in a central opening in the cover is the stem 19 of a thermal bulb 20 which contains a voltatile fluid. The pressure of this fluid is applied to a chamber 2! defined by the diaphragm and the underside of the cover, which pressure tends to force the diaphragm downward upon increase of bulb temperature. The parts are shown in the drawing in the positions reached when the bulb is at atmospheric temperature and the difference in pressure be-' tween chambers 2| and i3 is in excess of normal.

Threaded inan opening in the partition I is a member 22 having a valve port opening 23. Cooperable with the lower end of the port, to control fluid flow through the valve, is a ball 24 which is urged toward closed position by a compression spring 25, a disk 26,.havlng a central recess for receiving the ball, being interposed between the spring and the ball. The upper portion of the port 23 is reduced in diameter to serve as a guide for a rod 21 which transmits movement of the diaphragm IE to the valve ball 24, the rod extending between the ball and the underside of a pusher-plate 28 provided below the diaphragm.

The reduced portion 29 of port member 22 which extends above the partition I! is provided with lateral openings 30 communicating with the The pusher-plate 28 is depressed toward its center to provide an annular portion 3| which surrounds theupper end of rod 21 and thus limits lateral movement of the pushp1ate. The por-. tion 3!, by it engagement with the upper end of the port member, also serves to limit downward movement of the pusher-plate.

Threaded in an opening in a side wall of the valve casing is a cap member 35, the inner face of the head of which is preferably provided with an annular knife-edge portion 36 to insure a fluid-tight connection. Freely supported in the bore of the cap member is a cylindrical member -or cartridge 31, the inner end portion of which is a free fit in a bore 38 communicating with the inlet chamber l2, this bore being reduced adjacent the lnlet chamber to provide a'shoulder 39. A relatively light spring 40, compressed between the cap member 35 and a shoulder formed in the outer end of the bore of member 31, urges the inner end of thismember into fluid-tight engagement with the shoulder 39. The bore of member 31 is reduced at its inner end to form a restricted orifice 4|, lateral openings 42 being provided in by the scope of the appended claim. This apthe member for connecting its bore with the main inlet valve passage 43, wherein is mounted a strainer 44.

With the valve in open condition, as shown, fluid can flow from the inlet 43 through openings 42, orifice 4i, inlet chamber l2, port 23, openings 30, outlet chamberl3, and outlet passages 45 and 46. Itwill be seen that the pressure of the fluid in the bore of member 31 aids spring 40 in holding the end of the member in tight engagement with shoulder 39. Under some conditions spring 40 may be omitted, the member 31 then being held in positionsolely by the fluid pressure.

If it is desired to change the flow capacity of .frigerant controlvalve, it is obviously also adapted for other fluid control purposes. I intend therefore, that the invention be limited only plication is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 367,321 filed November 27, 1940.

I claim as my invention: In a fluid control valve: a casing having a valved passage therethrough, a portion or said passage being at an angle to an adjoining portion thereof, said casing also having a bore branched from said passage at the intersection of said portions and extending to the exterior of the casing,.a cap closing the outer end of said bore and having a part extending therewithin,

said part providing a cylindrical recess concentric with said" bore, the bore being coaxial with one of said passage portions, an elongated cylindrical member freely receivable in the bore and 

